Maryland has awarded a contract for the first phase of rebuilding Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, after the span was collapsed by a container ship in March.
The M/V Dali crashed in the Key Bridge on March 26, killing six maintenance workers and sending the bridge into Baltimore’s main shipping channel in pieces. The channel was then closed for months, as crews worked to clear the wreckage and tow the Dali out of the area. On August 29, the Maryland Transportation Authority’s (MTA) board awarded Kiewit Infrastructure a $73 million contract for the first phase of the project to rebuild the bridge, the Associated Press reports.
Read More: NTSB Report Describes Blackouts Aboard Dali Before Baltimore Bridge Crash
The MTA is aiming to have the full project wrapped up sometime in 2028, with an estimated cost of $1.7 billion. In addition to rebuilding the bridge itself, the project also includes better pier protections to shield the span from colliding ships. The new bridge will also be built taller to allow for larger container ships calling at the Port of Baltimore.
The first phase will focus on design work for the Key Bridge, as well as demolishing the parts of the bridge that remained following the crash. Although Kiewit was only approved for the first phase, the company will get exclusive rights to negotiate for the second phase, where the bulk of the actual construction work will occur.
